The National Hockey League announced today the cancellation of the 2013 NHL All-Star Celebration, which was scheduled to be hosted for the first time by the Blue Jackets and city of Columbus from January 24-27. The cancellation of All-Star festivities, along with the 2012-13 regular season schedule through December 14, was necessary due to the absence of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NHL Players’ Association and the NHL.

Fans who purchased tickets to either or both the Honda NHL SuperSkills® event or All-Star Game will receive a refund directly from authorized ticket outlets, including the Blue Jackets, National Hockey League and Ticketmaster. The primary ticket purchaser will be issued a refund on all charges, including all service and processing fees. The refund will be issued using the same method of payment used for the original ticket purchase. Blue Jackets season ticket holders who purchased tickets for 2013 All-Star events can CLICK HERE for details on the refund policy, or call 1-800-NHL-COLS to speak to their service representative on Monday.

“First and foremost, the Blue Jackets are very disappointed for our fans that All-Star festivities will not be coming to our great city in January,” said club President Mike Priest. “Our commitment to bringing this event to our fans is as strong as ever. The NHL believes Columbus will be a great host and will work with us to bring the All-Star Celebration here as soon as possible.”

“The reality of losing more regular-season games as well as the 2013 NHL All-Star Weekend in Columbus is extremely disappointing,” said NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly. “We feel badly for NHL fans and particularly those in Columbus, and we intend to work closely with the Blue Jackets organization to return the NHL All-Star events to Columbus and their fans as quickly as possible.”

Blue Jackets Majority Owner John P. McConnell added, “I’d like to thank everyone who has worked on this project and been so supportive, including our staff, the Greater Columbus Sports Commission, our public officials and the local business and hospitality communities, as it has truly been a team effort. I assure you that all of these efforts were not in vain, but will serve as a great foundation for when we do host the All-Star Celebration in the coming years. Nationwide Arena and the Arena District combined with our outstanding fans make Columbus a truly special setting. ”